Prophecy and the Sea
by The Doctor - Son of Kronos
Summary: When you start having dreams about a girl with ginger hair and green eyes, you think nothing of it. They're just dreams right? Not for Theo Wilson. Thanks to his friend, he runs into his redhead and things start getting a lot more complicated. What's a demigod? And why does he have a strange connection not only to the girl, but to the Oracle she hosts? TheoxRachel Percabeth
1. Chapter 1

The grey drizzle soaks my hoodless hair and starts to run in a chilly trickle down the nape of my neck. I shiver and pull my jacket tighter round myself, quickening my pace. Despite the presence of summer, there are still some bad days, just like in England.

I thought, when Mum had said we were going to America, that it would be sunny all the time, like in movies (Unless the character is sad and the director wants to show some pathetic fallacy). But no, the weather is pretty much the same in New York.

We moved here about a month ago, pretty spontaneously actually, but that's how it is with Mum, all off the whim. She had just said, "Right! We're off!" And off we were. I wasn't really in much of a position to complain, seeing as school wasn't going well because more and more recently I had been finding it hard to concentrate, especially when reading, and I never had many friends anyway.

I should probably explain about my mum. Her name is Delphinia Wilson and she is convinced that she is the daughter of the Greek goddess of magic, Hecate. What's more she believes that she can 'see the future' and is some sort of divine follower of Apollo. As you can probably guess, I don't believe a word of it.

Ever since I was little I heard the stories of ancient Greek mythology and the many tales of the gods and goddesses. For me they were all stories to be told at bedtime, and to be honest I quite enjoyed them, but as I grew older my mother became more and more obsessed with the notion that they were real and that she was the half-blood daughter of one.

Soon enough it became out of hand, her ramblings coupled with alcohol addiction scared little seven-year-old me. I have a theory that, because my dad left her when I was very young, and I wasn't exactly the easiest kid to raise, she took solace in her stories.

You see, I had a pretty wild imagination for a kid. I blame Mum's stories but every so often I could have sworn I saw a dog the size of a car, or a man with only one eye. Every time something like that happened, I would tell Mum and she would hug me and mutter some of her gibberish words to make me feel better, and you know what? They did.

Anyway, more and more recently she had been getting excited about America. We had never been outside England because Mum was a waitress at an average restaurant and didn't make that much money. But she was fixated on the idea of going and started to properly save up.

After about a year, we had enough. All throughout the plane journey I was hyperventilating and practically tearing apart the armrests. Mum had to say her special words quite a few times to get me to calm down. Once we had arrived, we went to stay with a friend of hers that I'd never heard of who lived in New York. Mum got a job in a diner and we tried to settle in.

My only real friend here is the daughter of my mum's friend. Her name is Chloe Harper and she's the reason I'm going to this stupid thing. She's a bit of a fanatic about any form of art: drawing, acting, playing music. This means she wants me to get involved, and since I'm terrible at art and music I'm doing drama.

I see the building she described up ahead and almost get hit by a car in my haste to get out of the cold. The class is clearly signed on one of the doors and I check my watch to make sure I'm not too early. Five minutes, not too bad. I open the door and scoot inside.

I'm not the first, at least five other kids my age, sixteen if you were wondering, are lounging around the studio. I take a seat and run my hands nervously over my damp jeans, I am _not_ a good socialiser. Shaking out some of the water from my hair, I busy myself with my phone so as not to have to make eye contact with anyone.

I send a quick text to Chloe saying _I'm gonna get you back…somehow_. She replies minutes later with a _:P _face. An involuntary smile breaks out on my face, which I quickly cover. It's the first week of summer holidays and Chloe is away for most of it so the only way to communicate is by text.

Apparently, phones aren't really allowed where she is but she knows that she's pretty much the only person I ever talk to, so she breaks the rules sometimes. I try to text as little as possible but with only the Internet and walks in the park to do, I tend to get a bit cranky.

My watch bleeps to say it's twelve o'clock and our two-hour lesson should be starting. Seconds later, the door opens again, but it's not the teacher. As soon as I catch a glimpse of her flame red hair and green eyes, my jaw hits the floor. It's the girl from my dreams.

I should probably explain. By 'the girl from my dreams' I don't mean I fantasize about red-haired girls with green eyes, I mean literally from my dreams. As soon as we arrived in America I started having weird dreams, which I only really remember flashes of, but one recurring image in them is the appearance of a red-haired girl with green eyes.

I hadn't told anyone, not even Chloe, because, well, they were just supposed to be dreams, until now. Now Red-Haired Girl is standing right in front of me, in the flesh. Completely and utterly real.

I know I'm not just making the connection with any redhead; she looks exactly like the girl from my dreams, down to the flecks of paint on her face and the tie-died t-shirt. But what is she _doing _here?

Apparently, she seems to recognize me as well. As soon as her eyes rest on me they widen into large circular orbs. There is something slightly off putting about her eyes now that I think about it. Beneath the normal pigment lies a swirling vortex of acid green colours that look so ancient it's hard to believe they are from a sixteen-year-old girl.

She strides up to me purposefully and hisses in my ear.

"What are you doing here?"

I'm taken aback. Who is this girl? How do I know her?

"Um, my friend told me to go?" I reply, unsure what she means.

My voice seems to startle her even more.

"Percy?" She asks.

"Uh no. Theo."

She blushes as red as her hair and covers her mouth.

"Sorry, I-er you look a lot like my friend…"

I smile, still confused as to who she is.

"What's your name?"

She seems to regain her composure as though introducing herself is something she's quite used to.

"Rachel Elizabeth Dare."

Her hand juts out and I shake it self-consciously.

"Cool name." I reply lamely. "Spells out your hair colour."

Rachel Elizabeth Dare looks confused for a few seconds before realizing what I mean.

"How have I not realized that before?" She looks dumbfounded and I manage another smile.

"Do you mind if I call you Red? Rachel Elizabeth Dare is quite a mouthful." I don't understand why I can speak so easily to her, generally I quail under any slight social pressure. But for some reason she's almost easier to talk to than Chloe, it's as if I've known her for ages.

"Sure, Theo." I blush slightly as she uses_ my _nickname. My full name is far more embarrassing.

I see the teacher enter from behind her and give us a strange glare, as if girls and boys shouldn't be talking to each other. She looks shriveled and old, with lank dark hair and pale skin and something about her gives me the creeps.

She clears her throat with a sickening cough and speaks. "Hello class, you may call me Mrs. M for the purposes of this course."

Rachel turns to look at her and lets out a horrified gasp. Instinctively, I think, she grabs hold of my wrist for comfort. Immediately after our arms make contact, Mrs. M turns into a hideous creature, her lank hair greasy and matted, her eyes completely dark with no irises whatsoever, and her spindly fingers elongating into talons. I could go on but my viewing session is interrupted by a yelp from myself, and Rachel whispering, "Run!"

I trust her judgment on this and bolt out of the door without a second glance. She's in good shape and sprints easily ahead of me, whereas I only move fast on adrenaline.

I hear a wretched snarl from behind me and speed up, catching up to Rachel. She leads us across a road and miraculously neither of us are hit by oncoming traffic. We weave through streets and alleys for about five minutes before my stitch catches up with me.

I stumble, catching myself just before I fall, and double over coughing. Her footsteps falter ahead of me as she realizes I've stopped. I feel a hand on my shoulder and straighten up, still winded.

"We can't stay here. It's too dangerous." Her vivid green eyes are full of fear and determination, which I didn't think could go so easily together.

"Whu-what was that thing?" I pant.

Her eyes search me calculatingly before answering.

"Who are your parents?" She says, avoiding the question.

I stare at her incredulously.

"We're being chased by a crazy monster vampire thing and you want to know who my parents are?"

"Just please tell me."

Sighing, I give her the standard answer.

"My mum is called Delphinia Wilson and my dad left us when I was a kid."

"But you knew who he was?"

I shift my weight uncomfortably. Seeing as he left after I was born, or so mum says, you would have thought I would have at least _some _memories of him, but no, all I know is I look a lot like him and that he was rich and powerful. To be honest, I kind of hate him. I mean, I admit, Mum isn't the easiest person to live with, but he could have helped out, sending money or even just coming to see me every so often.

In response, I shake my head.

She starts muttering to herself and I only catch a couple of words like 'mist', 'Percy' and 'camp', none of which make any sense to me. Looking up, she studies me again. Then she speaks once more.

"This may seem weird, but I need to do something. Please don't freak out?" She looks uncomfortable and apologetic and I don't understand what on earth she is talking about.

"What?"

"This."

At first I think she is trying to kiss me as she pulls my head towards hers. Instead, she presses her forehead against mine and closes her eyes. For a few seconds nothing happens. Then, I feel a strange probing sensation between my eyes. It starts getting more and more uncomfortable and I try and pull away, but her grip is too tight. An ache surrounds my head and becomes almost unbearable. Finally, she backs away and the pain recedes.

Something has definitely changed. Everything is sharp and defined and I find my concentration constantly flitting between different sights and sounds. When I look back at Rachel her hair looks even redder and her eyes even greener.

"What did you just do?"

Once again, she ignores my question.

"I need to talk to Chiron…" She mutters.

The taxi ride to Rachel's flat is quick and quiet, both of us too absorbed in our own thoughts. I find it incredibly hard to sit still all of a sudden, but blame it on the fact that we were just chased by a demon lady. Rachel pays the driver and hops out, me following close behind. The street we're on is full of posh high-rise apartments, and for some reason I'm surprised when she enters one.

"Woah, you actually live here?"

She glances back at me and shoots me a _please don't ask_ expression. I shut my mouth and follow her into the lift. I see her press one of the highest buttons and shift restlessly, the idea of a long trip in a small metal box seeming extremely unappealing all of a sudden.

She carries on muttering the whole way up, which really doesn't help my nerves. Once we enter the actual apartment Rachel makes a beeline for one of the back rooms. As I expected, the whole flat looks luxuriously furnished and spacious, with flat screen TVs and ceiling to floor windows.

I follow her into her room and find myself blinking at the contrast. Most of the rooms that we passed were meticulously arranged, with not a speck of dust out of place, but Rachel's room is even messier than mine. The walls are littered with paintings so perfect they would make Chloe jealous and tons of art supplies are littered across the floor.

I notice a recurring boy in her drawings that looks remarkably similar to me, with the same jet-black hair and sea green eyes. This guy, however, looks like a photoshopped version of me, me without the faults. His body is much more muscular, his skin is more tanned and a generally more confident look.

Rachel is crouched in the corner, staring at an ornate fountain with pretty cool lighting. The way the lamps are positioned refracts the light into large rainbows that scatter the ceiling and walls. In her hand she holds a large gold coin, which she rubs nervously, chewing her lip.

"O Iris, Goddess of Rainbows, please accept my offering." She says to no one in particular.

Straightening up, she chucks the coin straight at the wall in front of her. Instead of the coin clattering to the floor however, it disappears into one of the rainbows. I watch, stunned, as she speaks again.

"Camp Half-Blood."

An image begins to shimmer on the wall. A very pretty blond girl sits on a bench, chewing a pencil. Rachel calls to her.

"Annabeth!"

The girl looks shocked for a second before regaining her composure. She smiles.

"Hey, Rachel, what's up?"

"Do you think I could talk to Chiron…and/or Percy?"

"Chiron isn't here at the moment, but I can get Percy." The blonde gets up and walks out of shot but I can hear her shout Percy's name. I hear a guy answer, a flirtatious tone to his voice, before they both return.

I freeze in surprise. The guy who comes into the image is the same guy from Rachel's drawings, the guy who looks almost exactly like me.

"What's up?" He asks casually, not noticing me in the background. Unfortunately, my invisibility is short lived as Rachel beckons me forward. Reluctantly, I oblige. The look of shock on both their faces reflects mine.

"Who-"

"His name's Theo." Rachel interrupts. "I'm not sure if he's a half-blood but he's definitely clear-sighted. A monster attacked us."

The beautiful blond stares at me, her grey eyes calculating.

"If a monster attacked you then he's probably a demigod. Do you know which parent it might be?" she speaks as though I'm not right in front of her, even though I'm technically not, but you know what I mean.

Rachel glances back at me again.

"That's the thing. It's his dad."

The guy and the girl both fall silent. I need to know what's going on.

"What are you talking about? What about my dad?" My British accent sticking out like a sore thumb.

Once more, they ignore my questions. The guy speaks this time.

"If he was…y'know, then he wouldn't have been able to survive this long without camp. He's probably the son of one of the minor gods."

Annabeth nods uncertainly, looking unconvinced.

"Maybe…"

"Do you think I should bring him to camp?" Rachel asks.

I step in before either of the others can say something.

"What's going on, Red?" I say, purposefully using her nickname to get her attention. "I have a right to know."

She turns to me, her face desperate, and shakes her head.

"I don't have time to tell you now." She looks back at the image. "I think someone has been protecting him somehow using the Mist. I think I managed to remove most of it, but that may mean they can sense him now…"

Percy and Annabeth's faces both look grim and Percy nods his head.

"Bring him to camp. Chiron will be back soon and we can talk with him about it."

Rachel nods back and I watch as Annabeth waves her hand in the image and it dissipates.

"How-"

"Like I said, no time to explain. We have to get another cab."

And yet again I'm left feeling utterly lost.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot and main character!**

Rachel refused to tell me where we're going exactly, so after a few minutes of pestering I turn to my phone. I have no new texts from Chloe, so I send her a quick message summarizing my situation without the weird parts.

The cab driver originally looked skeptical when Rachel told him our destination, but after she showed him the wad of dollars she had grabbed from her house he started shooting eagerly toward Long Island. Even with the driver going at seventy miles an hour the drive takes a while, and it isn't helped that whenever I ask Rachel any questions she dismisses me and goes on muttering to herself.

Nerves chew at my stomach and my head is having a huge argument with my gut instinct.

_You barely know this girl and you're taking a cab to Long Island to some unknown destination with her? _My head shouts.

_We can trust her! You know we can! _My gut shouts back.

Finally, Rachel motions for the taxi driver to stop next to a large hill. The grass is a luscious green and the clouds seem to have cleared, making way for a beautiful sky. At the top of the hill, a huge pine tree stands tall, surrounded by some sort of copper statue that I can't quite make out and a glittering sheet of something hanging on it's branches.

We step out of the cab, leaving the driver with his share, and start trekking up the hill. I'm not sure what Rachel is looking for but I follow her anyway. The driver seems happy with his payment and shoots back toward Manhattan. _Great! _My mind sulks, _now we're alone._

As we near the pine tree I see a kid wearing some sort of bronze armour and holding a fake sword who seems to be guarding the tree. He sees us and starts jogging towards us, slightly warily, as if we might attack. As he nears I realize two things; the kid is actually a very hench-looking girl, and the sword isn't fake.

"Hey, Rachel!" She says in a gruff voice. "Who's this?"

The way she looks down at me makes me want to find the nearest hiding place and never come out.

"Don't tell me Prissy's got a-"

"We don't know." Rachel interrupts. "He might be a half-blood…we're not really sure who his parent is."

Tired of trying to get people to explain things to me, my mouth remains closed. The girl gives me a glare that looks like all my bullies rolled into one and I nervously follow Rachel over the hill.

"Punk…" The girl mutters.

The Big House is a large baby-blue house that seems almost as out of place as me, with its American ranch-style rather than the ancient Greek architecture that dominates most of the scenery. Outside it sit Percy and Annabeth in avid conversation.

They both look up as we approach and I only just realize how mature their eyes seem, as if they had both been exposed to too much before their time. Identical wisps of grey peek out of their hair and I find myself wondering if they had both dyed it for some strange reason.

The interior of the Big House is homely, but also slightly eerie, small shivers tickle the back of my neck as I enter. Inside sits a middle-aged bearded man in a wheelchair. He beckons for me to take a seat so I do so.

"Theo, is it?" He asks with a kind twinkle in his eye. He reminds me of the father figure I never had, the one that only really exists in fiction. I nod in reply.

"Hello, Theo. I'm Chiron."

He holds out his hand and I shake it slightly self-consciously.

I shift over as Rachel takes a seat beside me. Momentarily distracted by the smell of her shampoo I almost miss the next question.

"Do you know why you're here, child?"

"Huh? Oh um not really, no." I reply uneasily.

He chuckles slightly and shifts his weight as if he wants to get out of the wheelchair.

"I suppose it's down to me to explain again then. What do you know of the Greek gods and goddesses?"  
I look at him curiously. Is now really the time for a classics lesson?

"Um a bit, I guess." I say, not wanting to show the others who are watching our conversation how much of a geek at Greek mythology I am.

"What would you say if I told you that the Greek deities are very much alive and live in the heart of Western Civilisation, i.e. America?"

My words die in my throat. I struggle to force one out.

"A-alive?"

He laughs again as I stared at him, dumbfounded.

"Yes, child. You are, at the moment, in the only safe place for children very much like yourself. Children who are born half-god."

Images of Mum's ramblings and strange sights I've seen throughout my life invade my brain. Are these the people who Mum was inspired by? The reason she is so taken by the fact that she is a demigod. Part anger and part annoyance at being taken to such great lengths say the next words for me.

"I'm happy for you to have your own beliefs and all, but as soon as you start trying to enforce them on other people, people who don't really want their lives ruined, it has to stop. I'm not going to join in with this cult thing you have here even if you have converted Mum. So thanks, but no thanks."

And with that, I promptly leave the Big House.

I hear Rachel call after me and a couple of bewildered whispers but I don't care. I'm finding the next taxi out of here. As I near the tree again I notice that the thing on its branches is a real life replica of the Golden Fleece and around its trunk is a statue of a dragon guarding it.

Or that's what I think until the dragon statue opens one eye, gives a puff of smoke and shifts slightly in its sleep. I freeze, mid-stride. Running footsteps and what sound like hooves approach from behind me.

"Ah, I see you've met Peleus." I hear the man's voice behind me.

Turning to him I almost have a heart attack. Instead of sitting in his small wheelchair, he stands high above me confidently standing in half-man half-horse state.

"So that's-"

The Real Golden Fleece, yes."

"And you're-"

"The original centaur, trainer of Hercules."

I stare at the short white fur that dominates the lower half of his body and blink hard.

"Okay." I say weakly. "I think I believe you now."

We sit in a shaded bench area, the sun now very hot, while Chiron explains the concept of half bloods and mist and all I need to know about the camp. Most of the concepts run well with the stories and I find myself on familiar turf. After he explains, I find myself with only a few questions.

"So are all of you demigods?" I ask the other kids around me.

Percy replies. "Not all of us. For example, Rachel is mortal but clear-sighted. She's here because she is the current host of the Oracle of Delphi-"

I look at her in shock. I know a lot about the Oracle because, well, Mum was apparently named after her. And she pretty much would never let that go, convinced it meant she was blessed with the gift of Sight from Phoebus Apollo, the god of prophecies and a bunch of other things.

"-but the rest of us are. My dad is Poseidon and Annabeth's mom is Athena. Of course there are also the satyrs, y'know half-goat, and they're pretty much as regular as campers."

Now that I know who their parent's are, it's hard not to notice all the little clues, Percy's eye colour, Annabeth's calculating and skeptical look, it almost seems obvious.

"But don't Poseidon and Athena hate each other?" I ask tentatively.

Percy tenses slightly and I know I've struck a bit of a soft spot. I notice Annabeth's hand slide over his as if to comfort him and I feel slightly jealous of their relationship.

It's Annabeth who answers. "Maybe we should fill you in from the beginning…"

She looks over at Percy who gives a little smirk before beginning his story.

"I guess it all started a few years ago, when I was twelve and went on a school trip to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in Manhattan…"

After the story is told, I can't help but look at all three of them disbelievingly. Percy had told it so normally, I could have been fooled into thinking this was something they all do on a regular basis.

Although, naturally, Percy and Annabeth's feats impress me the most, I can't help but be in awe at the things Rachel achieved, being only mortal, with no godly powers.

"You genuinely threw a blue plastic hairbrush at the lord of time?"

She laughs.

"I love how everyone picks up on that, not the fact that I host the all-seeing spirit of Apollo, or that I navigated the Labyrinth."

Of course, there is one main question that dominates my mind.

"So who's my dad?" I ask, eagerness evident in my voice.

They all look slightly uncomfortable at that, as if they think they know the answer but don't want to be right. It's Chiron who answers.

"At some point soon, your godly parent should claim you. After the Titan War, Percy told the gods to claim they're children as much as possible because of the large number of unclaimed in the enemy ranks. This means it should not take long for your father to send a sign." He gives the comforting smile again, but it has lost its twinkle. "Come, let us show you around."

At many points during the tour I feel lost for words, partially horrified and partially excited seeing the Lava Wall and hearing about the woods. I find myself particularly intrigued with the weapons.

"So what will I use?" I ask eagerly, knowing I sound like a small child but not really caring.

"Well that tends to depend on your godly parent." Chiron replies, still wearing his fatherly smile. "Generally heroes tend to go for swords or blades but children of Apollo often prefer archery. We can let you test out a few to see which type feels most comfortable."

I can't take wipe the grin from my face. He shows me a bunch of other cool stuff like the stables (full of pegasi) and the sword-fighting arena, where the girl from the tree pulverizes a bunch of smaller kids.

I notice Chiron visibly perk up as we approach the archery section of the camp.

"So what do you guys train _for_? I mean, surely the monsters died-" I freeze mid-sentence, the words stuck in my throat.

There she is, standing bow in hand, blonde hair tied back, wearing a bright orange camp T-shirt. I open and close my mouth like a fish out of water and make some weird stuttering noises. It is undoubtedly, irrevocably her. But what is she _doing _here?

An arrow flies with deadly accuracy, hitting bulls-eye and splitting the previous arrow right in two. She reaches back and, realising she has no arrows left in her quiver, heads toward the target.

I realise that Chiron has been talking to me.

"Huh? Sorry?"

"I was saying," he looks down at me, slightly furrowing his brow, "that the Apollo Cabin tend to dominate the target practice as they are the children of the archer god. However, if you choose to use a bow, and do not end up in that cabin, there is no shortage of space."

I see him beckon to a whole bunch more targets, but I can't keep focused.

"Uh, cool…" I reply vaguely and start to head in her direction.

Noticing my lack of explanation, I quickly turn back. "Do you mind if I…?"

"A friend of yours?"

I nod and head off in her direction. She is too focused on her shooting to notice me. Somehow she looks really different, it might be the fact that she's holding a deadly weapon, or the fact that I've never seen her wearing orange.

I clear my throat slightly awkwardly, but she doesn't even look up.

"What is it? I'm kinda busy."

"Oh nothing really, just you know the usual, finding out that not only you, but your best friend is the child of an ancient deity." I act casual, slipping my hands into my pockets and rocking back and forth on my feet.

As soon as Chloe sees me, her face breaks out into a grin.

"Really? You're-"

"A half-blood? Apparently."

She drops her bow and pulls me into a tight hug.

"Join the family!" She grins, spreading her arms wide.

"So who's you're… parent?"

She looks at me skeptically, one eyebrow raised.

"You've met my mom, normal as you can be. Dad: Archery and an obsession with music and literature, namely poetry. Hmm I wonder…"

I stare disbelieving, it was easy to get my head around random people I didn't know, but Chloe?

"Apollo? Phoebus Apollo is your dad?" I ask incredulously.

"You really that surprised?"

I laugh, thinking about how strange my life has just become.

"Hey, Will!" She shouts in the direction of a boy, with the same sandy blond hair as she does. Actually, as I look around, a large majority of the archers carry that characteristic.

He jogs over, bow slung over his shoulder. Only now do I realise that every camper I've seen wears a necklace with a bunch of colourful beads on it. As I look closely they seem to have little images carved into them.

"This is my half-brother, Will Solace, he's the head counselor of our cabin, and Will," Chloe points at me, " this is my friend Theo Wilson."

We shake hands and I feel increasingly awkward around Chloe's secret sibling.

"Oh wait! Have you been claimed yet?" She looks so excited that I wonder why the others acted like it was such a bad thing.

"Um no not yet. Chiron said it would probably happen today, something to do with Percy…" I reply self-consciously.

A shadow suddenly pass over both of their faces and I notice Will start to fiddle with one of the beads. Silence falls for a few seconds. Worried that I've done something wrong, I make an excuse to get back to Chiron.

"What's wrong with what Percy did? Why are they so sad about claiming?" I ask Chiron as we get out of earshot.

"It's not what he did, child. Many lives were lost in the war. The Apollo Cabin lost their lead counselor, a boy named Lee Fletcher."

"You mean, he died?" I say swallowing a ball of fear that builds in my throat.

The centaur looks down at me with a melancholy gaze but says no more.


	3. Chapter 3

I hear the conch sound just as we finish the tour. Chiron beckons me towards the dining pavilion and I follow somewhat enthusiastically, my stomach growling for nourishment.

Once we reach it, a bunch of campers have already filed in and since I haven't been claimed yet, Chiron tells me to go and sit with the Hermes campers, pointing to a table filled with elf-like boys and girls who all look like they would love to steal every valuable item on me.

I warily perch on the edge of the bench and try my very hardest not to be noticed. Unfortunately, my jet-black hair is quite the contrast to their generally blond or brownish locks, and I manage to catch the attention of two boys who I can only guess are identical twins. **(I know they're not but he doesn't know that so..)**

"You're not Percy…" The one on the right remarks.

"So who are you?" The left one asks, both of them disconcertingly pulling the same facial expression.

"Uh I'm Theo."

"And you're unclaimed-"

"-for now." The left one adds to his brother's comment.

I look at them slightly suspiciously and have the sudden urge to check my pockets. I don't understand why I ask the next question to the children of the god of thieves but no one else seems to be giving me a straight answer, or even an answer at all.

"Why does everyone look so uncomfortable about finding out who my dad is? I mean, isn't it supposed to be a good thing?"

Even the twins look slightly shifty but I'm relieved when the right one answers.

"Well, the thing is, I don't know if you noticed but-"

"-you look a lot like our man Percy over there."

I nod but still don't really understand where they're going with this.

"So, you look about, I dunno, sixteen years old right?" The right one resumes his explanation.

I nod again in confirmation.

"Well, the thing is… so's Percy."

"And…"

He runs a hand through his messy hair.

"Jeez do I have to go into the details? Fine, if you have the same godly parent but, I'm guessing here but correct me if I'm wrong, different moms…"

It dawns on me, and I feel colour rush into my face.

"B-but what about you guys, you have half-siblings." I stutter, feeling an unpleasant tingling sensation in my cheeks.

"Yeah but usually not that close in age."

"Unless you're from the Aphrodite Cabin." The left one winks at me and I blush even more.

"I-is that it? It's not anything you know… um…"

"More important?"

I nod again, two part of my brain fighting over whether I should stay and find out more, or run and find the deepest darkest pit I can find and never come out.

"Well it might be the fact that if you _are _the son of the sea god, you should also have been part of the prophecy, well not really but you would be born under the pact, which means, without camp to keep you safe, you should be er-"

"-dead." The right one finishes for his brother.

I'm about to ask why, when a rather fat man wearing a leopard skin patterned shirt stands up and clears his throat loudly.

"Well, I suppose I must give a little welcoming speech for… yet another brat who is joining our increasingly extended family. What was his name again…?"

He leans down to Chiron and I see Percy rolling his eyes.

"Ah yes, Thomas Williams, or Theo Williams… or maybe even Wilson, I'm sorry but I really don't care, you can all eat now." He motions to the crowd and tries to sit down before Chiron whispers something in his ear again. " Oh yes and Capture the Flag will be on this Friday so start doing whatever you do in preparation."

With that, the plates sat in front of all of us suddenly contain large slabs of steak and chips and a bunch of salad on the side. I grin subconsciously and almost begin to hack into it before I realise that I'm the only one still sitting. Someone from the Hephaestus Cabin, I'm guessing, nudges me toward the braziers that line the dining pavilion. The campers all mutter something inaudible or just close their eyes in some sort of prayer as they scrape large portions of their meals into the fires.

"Offerings?" I whisper to the guy who nudged me.

He nods. "You can ask for favors or for help if you want. You might wanna try and connect with you're parent. Try asking, they usually answer nowadays."

As I near the brazier I silently will for some connection to my father, anything, but I come up blank.

"Please, please just tell me who you are." I mutter under my breath as I shove a hearty portion of my food into the fire.

After the meal I follow the Hermes Cabin to the campfire. The twins keep reassuring me that if I'm to be claimed this would be the prime time, dozens of kids have been claimed at the campfire, it's almost guaranteed. And yet I find myself sitting alone, watching the Apollo Cabin, including Chloe, dancing and singing around the multicoloured flames.

I hear someone approach from behind me. As soon as I see the red hair I know who it is.

"Fun campfire, eh?" I mutter unenthusiastically.

"What's up?" She asks, and I can tell by her voice she's genuinely concerned.

I sigh. "Just a lot to take in I guess…"

She scooches up next to me and I shiver slightly, despite the warm summer air.

"You're gonna get claimed, Theo. Trust me, if you don't, Percy's gonna go right up to Olympus and drag your dad down here."  
I smile slightly but dark clouds still hang over my head.

"That's the thing, what if I do get claimed? These Hermes kids finally told me why everyone's so weird about the subject, what if it's not a good thing that I'm claimed?"

Rachel grabs my hand and looks me in the eye. I can still see that swirling vortex of green almost glowing in the shadows. I feel like I should be disconcerted by it, but instead I only feel a sort of familiarity.

"I might not have divine parents, but gods do I have annoying ones. I know how it feels to have daddy problems, my stupid dad helped kill a god, unknowingly of course. Every time I see them we fight about one stupid thing or another. But I still love them because no matter what, they're family. And that's all that matters."

I try to take solace in her words, and they do clear some of the dark thoughts away but the oncoming horde can't be deterred and I find her hope swallowed by a gnawing nervousness. But I nod anyway and force a smile.

"I… I know. Thanks Red, I really appreciate it."

After an unfulfilling campfire, we all retire to our cabins, or in Rachel's case, her cave. The campfire wasn't a complete disappointment however. Rachel and I spent the rest of the time getting to know each other, before Percy and Annabeth joined us. The conversation became slightly stilted, but I found myself enjoying their company.

I lie awake, hours after I heard the heavy breathing of sleep from the Hermes campers. They gave me a bottom bunk, with a lot of space to spare after everyone being claimed. If anything that just makes me feel worse. Why didn't he claim me? Does he not want anyone knowing I'm his son? Is he even Poseidon at all?

As my mind swarms with unanswerable questions, my mind wanders to my mother. I haven't seen her in 24 hours, I haven't even thought to call or tell her I'm okay. I can imagine her at home, sick with worry, probably thinking I've been killed by a Cyclops or something. And the twisted thing is that that could have been true. Well, not the Cyclops part but my life was in mortal peril not seven hours ago.

I toss and turn for what seems like hours before sliding out of bed. My bare feet feel cold against the floor, and I pull my new orange camp-issued t-shirt closer around me. Quietly padding to the doorway, I slip on my trainers without socks and exit the cabin.

The night air is warmer than I expected but still the occasional gust of wind rips right through my t-shirt. I have no idea where I'm going but I just follow my feet, making sure I steer clear of the woods after several warnings from Chiron.

I so dearly want to pull out my phone and just give Mum a call but Percy warned me about how it's like sending out a flare for monsters, even here. Before I know it I find myself on a hill, a warm glow emanating from a cubbyhole on the side of it. Despite the fact that I've never been there and she never told me where it is, I know sure as day that that's where Red lives.

I'm about to draw back the purple curtain covering the entrance when I realise that it is the dead of night and she either won't take kindly to dark strangers in the night, or she's fast asleep.

I turn to leave and head back to the cabins, but a small shuffle and a cough from behind startle me.

"Who's there?" Though cautious, her voice sounds confident, like she's ready for a fight.

Unsure of what to say I sort of stand there. She pulls back her curtain more and light spills out, revealing my figure. I give a little nervous laugh and my hand reaches back to itch the nape of my neck.

"What are you doing here?" Rachel asks, her voice softening considerably.

"I-er went on a walk and kinda just ended up here…"

She reaches up and scratches her own neck and I find the increasing urge to leave.

"In the middle of the night?"

"Sorry?" I ask, too distracted by my own embarrassment to have comprehended her question.

She crosses her arms and looks at me through the gloom.

"You went on a walk in the middle of the night?"

"Uh yeah, trouble sleeping…" I reply lamely.

She beckons me inside and I follow obediently. The inside of the cave is much less…cave-like than I thought it would be, the hung up curtains and paintings plastering the wall make it look like a tent version of her other room.

I see many of the same paintings from her house, like the ones of Percy and the slightly disconcerting one with the boy with golden eyes, but there are many more added to the collection. I can't see a single patch of bare wall. Some aren't even paintings but what look like poems and random words are scrawled across the pages. For some reason, some of the poems sound familiar.

"Are these…?"

"Prophecies?" She finishes my question. "Yeah. Most of them have already happened, I haven't had this-" She beckons to her head "-for very long and it's still sorta filling me in on the details, y'know, getting used to being in my head."

I read a few lines of the one next to me:

_You shall sail the iron ship with warriors of bone,_

_You shall find what you seek and make it your own,_

_But despair for…_

The rest is covered by a picture of a young blond boy who looks slightly similar to the twins I met earlier.

"So you get like weird flashes or what? How does it work?" I ask.

She turns to me and in the flickering candlelight her eyes look like Greek Fire.

"Sometimes it comes in flashes, but the old prophecies and knowledge usually comes in dreams, like how demigods get weird nightmares about their journey ahead."

My eyes are drawn to a large painting that dominates the back wall. Swirls and flourishes of the same acid green colour I see in Red's eyes coil around a small figure. Compared to the behemoth of green the silhouette seems miniature and vulnerable. A flash of memory that surfaces but fades too quickly to catch, causes me to grimace.

Some words are scrawled around the edges but something tells me they don't match with the picture.

"What's that?"

She follows my eye line and gives a small shake of her head.

"I dunno, one of the new ones I guess. This one-" She motions to the words around the painting "-happened last summer, after the war. But this was way after."

Her fingers trace the green contours.

"I thought maybe they were connected somehow, but I dunno…"

I read through the words out loud, pondering their meaning.

"_Seven half-bloods shall answer the call…_

_To storm or fire the world must fall._"

Coming up with nothing, I turn back to the painting. An overwhelming feeling of impending peril fills my chest and seizes my throat. Red turns away from the wall to see my blanched face.

"You okay?" Her brow furrows in concern.

"Uh, yeah. I'm good, but uh I should probably get some sleep. Y'know big day tomorrow!" I force a grin and shuffle out of a tent, almost breaking into a sprint on the way back to my cabin.

Something really bad is going to happen. And it's going to happen soon.


End file.
